Introducing Flexible Seating

Your children and I are very excited to introduce our new learning space, now complete with flexible seating.

As you can see, a classroom with flexible seating looks different than a traditional classroom that uses only desks and chairs.  Flexible seating options like buoy stools, swivel stools, balance ball chairs, stand-up tables, counters, floor tables, bean bag chairs and knee/floor pads offer students a variety of choices for seating options. The goal of flexible seating is to offer students choice and opportunities for movement and to help them find the type of seating that allows them to achieve maximum engagement, increased productivity and optimal learning. Choice seating is designed to be flexible and may change throughout the day depending on their needs or the type of work they are engaged in.  While there are many different options for seating, you will notice that all options (sans beanbag chairs) still allow for a table-based workspace for students.  Traditional desks are still available for students that desire or require more structured seating. 

So far, transitioning to our new learning space has proven to be a success in that there has been a marked increase in productivity and engagement, not to mention the fact that students are thoroughly enjoying the freedoms that come with choice and needed movement while learning.  

I want to take this opportunity to offer a special thank you to the P.T.O. and their Teacher Wishes grant program, as this endeavor was funded in part by their organization. On behalf of the children who are reaping the benefits of our new, 21st century learning space - THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Students assembling some of our new materials.

Working hard and enjoying their new space. 

Students celebrating the arrival of some of their new materials and the large empty boxes in which they were packaged.

Breakout EDU

Thanks to Mrs. Kosakowski and Mrs. Klipfel, our digital literacy specialists, students were able to participate in the ultimate Breakout EDU experience, using teamwork and critical thinking to solve a series of challenging puzzles related to map skills in order to open a locked box of treasure. It's similar to an "escape room" strategy. 

Breakout EDU games can be used to introduce a new lesson or concept, or to reinforce and strengthen learning. The games provide a student-centered learning experience where students use critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and communication to problem-solve and own their learning, apply their understanding of new content or even discover it.  One of the best aspects of these games is that they provide students with many opportunities to fail forward.  Every unsuccessful attempt to solve a puzzle and open a lock forces the player to try again. These geography-savvy sixth graders were determined to solve all of the puzzles within the allotted 45-minute timeframe. The first team broke the codes within 41 minutes and the second team broke them within 44 minutes - just under the wire!  It was just as thrilling for me to observe as it was for students to participate - it was wonderful to see them supporting one another as learners and persevering through the more difficult aspects of the challenge. Student feedback:  "Please, can we do another one soon?"  You can bet we will and next time, we'll level up!

Gender Roles in the Middle East: A Balanced Understanding and Perspective

Imagining what the U.S. looked like before the Women’s Rights Movement might seem to many, a lot like what some parts of the middle east look like today.  Many people, including some of our global-minded sixth graders, hold narrow judgments and stereotypes about certain social practices in the middle east, particularly with respect to gender practices.  

As we began our study of geography and culture in the middle east region, we took the opportunity to investigate and discuss the diverse roles and aspirations of middle eastern women and the influence of various interpretations of Sharia Law, social customs, geographical location, and family traditions. Students first compared and contrasted gender practices in the U.S. with those in the middle east region.  Analyzing popular misconceptions was helpful in being able to gain a more balanced understanding of gender roles.  But, what next?  Perspective. An important part of our inquiry would be about the formations of cultural traditions and how and why they change, specifically in the middle east region. The question guiding our research and investigation was:

How does the progression of rights over time, the value of the family network, the variation in family or personal status laws across states, or the role of Sharia Law shape cultural values and behaviors?

Specific, inquiry-based questions included:

1. How do Muslim girls and women feel about covering their hair?
2. What are the priorities of Muslim women?
3. How long did it take to achieve women's suffrage after independence in Oman compared to that of the United States?
4. How do the various interpretations of Sharia Law in different Muslim communities influence gender roles for Muslim women around the world?

Students used visible thinking walls to post research results and related ideas, affording students the ability to become engaged thinkers and learners; even thought leaders! They learned that there is a difference between religion and culture and that not all middle eastern Muslim women are oppressed by their religion. From previous discussions about gender equality in other parts of the world, we know that women all over the world, regardless of religion, have struggled against inequalities and restrictive practices in education, the workforce and family roles. While many of these same limitations apply to some middle eastern women, many of these influences stem from local cultural traditions as well as various interpretations of Sharia Law or Islamic traditions.  One student reported that "this seems like a pretty complicated issue and that we would need a whole lot more time to find all the answers". Another reported that "it didn't seem fair to judge middle eastern traditions and assume that everyone wants to become more "western-oriented" because traditions can be very important to some people and there are a lot of people who don't like change - maybe some of these women are proud of their traditions". One of the last comments I overheard: "What if a woman wants to pursue her own passions, but she is afraid that she will be shunned by society if she does?  That doesn't seem like equality to me". 

“Women and Gender Roles in the Middle East.” TeachMideast, teachmideast.org/articles/introduction-women-gender-roles-middle-east/.